Physics and biology are sciences because they put theories up to
falsifiable tests.

But most of the esoteric math theorems in abstract set, algebra,
geometry, and field
theory have not been tested. Moreover, they cannot be tested. Thus,
they cannot be
scientifically verified or falsified.

Is math, thusly, a pseudo science?

Lunk

In article .com,
"Mathematics Lover" wrote:

Physics and biology are sciences because they put theories up to
falsifiable tests.

But most of the esoteric math theorems in abstract set, algebra,
geometry, and field
theory have not been tested. Moreover, they cannot be tested. Thus,
they cannot be
scientifically verified or falsified.

Is math, thusly, a pseudo science?

Lunk

Mathematics is not a science at all in the sense you describe, but is,
nevertheless, the queen of sciences.

what do you mean by "queen"?
She is a whore?

In article .com,
Mathematics Lover wrote:
Physics and biology are sciences because they put theories up to
falsifiable tests.

But most of the esoteric math theorems in abstract set, algebra,
geometry, and field
theory have not been tested. Moreover, they cannot be tested. Thus,
they cannot be
scientifically verified or falsified.

You seem confused. The role of conjectures put up to falsifiable tests
are the Hypothesis. Theorems play the role of verified theories. The
standards of evidence in mathematics are different from those in
physics and biology; but then, the standards of physics are different
from those in biology as well. The difference is quantitative, not
qualitative.

I wrote an essay a year and a bit ago on this subject for a friend's
blog. If you are not a troll, or if anybody is interested, you can see
it at

http://andrewlias.blogspot.com/2004_...007393787 004


--
================================================== ====================
"It's not denial. I'm just very selective about
what I accept as reality."
--- Calvin ("Calvin and Hobbes")
================================================== ====================

Arturo Magidin

In article .com,
wrote:

what do you mean by "queen"?
She is a whore?

It must mean math is a guy who wears a dress.

Mathematics Lover wrote:
Physics and biology are sciences because they put theories up to
falsifiable tests.

But most of the esoteric math theorems in abstract set, algebra,
geometry, and field
theory have not been tested. Moreover, they cannot be tested. Thus,
they cannot be
scientifically verified or falsified.

Is math, thusly, a pseudo science?

Lunk

Mathematics is definitely not a science, but then it never actually
claimed to have been one. In the end, science always resorts to
empiricism to test it's ideas, whereas all that math requires is that
its statements be internally consistent.

I'll make the gullible assumption that the question below is not
frivolous.

Mathematics Lover wrote:
Physics and biology are sciences because they put theories up to
falsifiable tests.

They are empirical sciences with probability based confirmation and
falsification methods.

But most of the esoteric math theorems in abstract set, algebra,
geometry, and field
theory have not been tested. Moreover, they cannot be tested. Thus,

Mathematics is a science based on axioms and proofs. Furthermore,
the mathematical apparatus can be an integral part the logical
deduction process leading to hypotheses to be empirically tested in
other sciences.

Take even any hard finance or even an accounting journal and you'll
see mathematics used in the latter way. (You included alt.accounting
for reasons I do not quite follow.)

Many if not most universities have a department of mathematics or
mathematical or methodological sciences.

Futhermore, or in parallel applied mathematics is essential in
fields such as operations research. Sometimes even synonymous.

All the best, Timo

--
Prof. Timo Salmi ftp & http://garbo.uwasa.fi/ archives 193.166.120.5
Department of Accounting and Business Finance ; University of Vaasa
http://www.uwasa.fi/~ts/ ; FIN-65101, Finland
Acc. Journals Links http://www.uwasa.fi/~ts/opas/jott/jottjcgi.html

mathematics

n : a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of
quantity and shape and arrangement [syn: math, maths]

Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University



"Mathematics Lover" wrote in message
oups.com...
Physics and biology are sciences because they put theories up to
falsifiable tests.

But most of the esoteric math theorems in abstract set, algebra,
geometry, and field
theory have not been tested. Moreover, they cannot be tested. Thus,
they cannot be
scientifically verified or falsified.

Is math, thusly, a pseudo science?

Lunk

Mathematics Lover wrote:
Physics and biology are sciences because they put theories up to
falsifiable tests.

The equivalent for mathematics would be "conjectures", like Goldbach's
Conjecture. This is a statement which has been proven to be true for a
large number of "tests", but no absolute proof found. (Every even
number found so far _can_ be written as the sum of two primes.)
However, tomorrow, it may be proven false. At best, it can be suspected
that the conjecture is true or false.

A conjecture that has been disproven (especially in individual
research) is tossed aside, like a physics concept which has been tested
and found not to exist.

But most of the esoteric math theorems in abstract set, algebra,
geometry, and field
theory have not been tested. Moreover, they cannot be tested. Thus,
they cannot be
scientifically verified or falsified.

Yes, mathematics is unique in this sense. Mathematics works
independently of the universe; for instance, hyperbolic geometry (I
think that's the one) has nothing to do with the real world, but you
can still calculate within it.

But mathematics is the only science in which a "theory" can be
_logically proven_.

Is math, thusly, a pseudo science?

Math is a different type of science. For instance, it's the only
situation (science or otherwise) where you can actually use the verb
"to be" in its literal sense.

For instance, the chant "Fur is murder" REALLY means "In my belief,
animals should not be killed to make certain types of garments."
(However, this chant is not as emotional as "Fur is murder", just like,
"Eat the cheeseburger, astronaut boy!"*) The physics law "Force is mass
times acceleration" really means "In all the tests so far, the force
and mass times acceleration have agreed in value."

--- Christopher Heckman

* From the TV show "Upright Citizens Brigade", an example of Discordian
comedy. They satirize discrimination by having "astronaut" being the
least desirable occupation possible, even below "politician".

In article . com, "Proginoskes" writes:

Mathematics Lover wrote:
Physics and biology are sciences because they put theories up to
falsifiable tests.

The equivalent for mathematics would be "conjectures", like Goldbach's
Conjecture. This is a statement which has been proven to be true for a
large number of "tests", but no absolute proof found. (Every even
number found so far _can_ be written as the sum of two primes.)
However, tomorrow, it may be proven false. At best, it can be suspected
that the conjecture is true or false.

A conjecture that has been disproven (especially in individual
research) is tossed aside, like a physics concept which has been tested
and found not to exist.

But most of the esoteric math theorems in abstract set, algebra,
geometry, and field
theory have not been tested. Moreover, they cannot be tested. Thus,
they cannot be
scientifically verified or falsified.

Yes, mathematics is unique in this sense. Mathematics works
independently of the universe; for instance, hyperbolic geometry (I
think that's the one) has nothing to do with the real world, but you
can still calculate within it.

Well, the significant difference of math and science (put in "physical
sciences" if you prefer) is as follows: In any given branch of math
the axioms are known and the question may be whether a specific result
follows from the axioms. In physics, the results may be known (to
some accuracy) the question is "what are the axioms?"

Mati Meron | "When you argue with a fool,
| chances are he is doing just the same"